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Indian couple, terminally-ill son fall to death from luxury London apartment building: Report
The son, Sid, was partially handicapped, had a kidney disease, was unable to speak and also suffered from learning difficulties.
A family of three — a mother, father, and their nine-year-old son — fell to their death from the 36th floor of a luxury apartment building in London in a suspected murder-suicide. The couple, Rakesh Pai, 47, Aditi Paralkar, 46, was originally from India and their son, Sid, was Indian-origin.
Sid was terminally ill and the family was found dead after he was denied treatment, according to a report by Daily Mail.
The incident happened on May 27 at the 45-storey Highpoint tower block in Elephant and Castle, south London.
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About the family
Both Aditi and Rakesh were from India and had no family in London. They worked as consultants and were earning handsomely. Rakesh, also known as Robin, worked in finance while Aditi had held several senior roles in construction industry.
The couple had moved to the UK in early 2000s after graduating from top schools in India and had prospering careers. They had their own consultancy business and were living in a luxury apartment building where rents can touch $3,800 a month.
Their son, Sid, suffered from several conditions. He was partially handicapped, had a kidney disease, was unable to speak and also suffered from learning difficulties.
According to some friends, Aditi suffered from depression due to her son's medical condition, the Daily Mail report said. He was homeschooled with Aditi who had taken up most of the responsibility for her son's education.
The friends also said that Aditi and Rakesh took Sid to India in 2020 to get him specialised treatment but returned last year after there was no improvement in his health.
‘Aditi struggled with what was going on’
One of the friends emphasised that for Aditi, things were particularly challenging as she suffered from depression over her son's condition and had no family in the UK, all while doing a challenging job.
“It was a huge stress for both of them but Adi in particular struggled to cope with what was going on. She had no family in the UK and also did a very demanding job, so it was very difficult for her to manage everything,” the friend was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
“It took a huge toll on her mental health, and I think it may have just got too much for her. They were a wonderful family, and we are all very shocked by what's happened,” they added.
What exactly led to their deaths is yet to be ascertained through an inquest. However, the couple's friends have expressed their reservations with the suicide pact theory.
“None of this makes sense to us because while it was obvious that Adi was struggling, Robin was the composed one of the two. He was actually handling things quite well given Sid's illness and the pressure they were all under. Hopefully the inquest will get to the bottom of what happened because at the moment, none of us have got a clue,” another friend was quoted as saying.
The family was found dead in the courtyard of their residential towel. The police and emergency services rushed to the spot and tried resuscitate them, but failed.
According to a some residents of the building, they heard shouting and screaming from their apartment.
What police said
The metropolitan police said that they are treating the deaths as “unexpected” and that the detectives are investigating after “three people died following a fall from height on Wednesday”, said a spokesperson.
"At 7.29am officers, the London Ambulance Service, London's Air Ambulance and the London Fire Brigade attended a high-rise block of flats on Churchyard Row, Elephant and Castle, following reports that people had fallen from height," the spokesperson said, adding that the family's next-of-kin have been informed of the tragedy.
If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290
